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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28724484">Mosaic</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CinnamonToastCrunch/pseuds/CinnamonToastCrunch'>CinnamonToastCrunch</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Teenage Mecha Ninja Turtles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Continuation, F/M, First Kiss, First Love, Gen, Mecha, Ninja, Teenage Dorks, Teenage Drama, Teenagers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 07:07:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,288</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28724484</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CinnamonToastCrunch/pseuds/CinnamonToastCrunch</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>[An 'episode' for Teenage Mecha Ninja Turtles] After a botched operation, a troubled Jackson has a run-in with an...interesting girl. Meanwhile, Frida feels conflicted about her leadership skills.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Frida &amp; Michelangelo (TMNT), Jackson &amp; Frida (TMNT), Jackson &amp; Michelangelo (TMNT), Jackson (TMNT)/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Mosaic</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>If you found your way here without having seen the original Teenage Mecha Ninja Turtles short, please do yourself a favor, and watch it <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijgRyNeeF5I">here</a>!</p>
<p>Anyway, this is just a random little fic I wrote on a whim after watching this short for the umpteenth time. I kind of assume this series is set in TMNT 2012's future due to Greg Cipes' voice being used for Sensei Mikey, that and I just love the idea of 2012 Mikey becoming a master to a group of wise-ass teens. </p>
<p>If I get a couple of reviews, I might add some more chapters, maybe make this a series with different 'episodes' for the Mecha Turtles' characters. Otherwise, consider this a one-shot.</p>
<p>Please, enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>---</p>
<p>A dark, cold night in New York City. Quite typical. It was already past midnight, thus the streets were much quieter than earlier. Only the sounds of the chilled autumn wind could be heard, along with the occasional wafting of random bits of litter on the ground. Street lamps still illuminated the surrounding areas, lighting the way home for the few pedestrians still daring to brave a trek around the vicinity. Of course, there were those out and about at this hour who sought to disrupt the peace and tranquility. In front of one of the largest jewelry stores in the city stood three mechs. These machines were of a sleek design, all sharing a shark-like appearance, in order to look more threatening. On the signal of the presumed leader, the one in the gray coating, they proceeded to smash themselves through the glass revolving door that led into the lobby. The mech in black pointed toward the vault door as it made its way there, and the other two quickly pursued it.</p>
<p>"Let's get started," the pilot of the gray mech said as he rubbed his hands in glee. "Moonshine, you know what to do."</p>
<p>The one named Moonshine, riding inside the smallest mech, of a magenta color, was busy hacking into the tightly secured strong room. "This'll take a few...more...seconds..."</p>
<p>"Ooh, boy! I can't wait to see what sort of goodies they've got stashed in there." Excitedly, the black mech pilot hooted after.</p>
<p>Moonshine's mech seemingly copied her expression, one of disdain. "Shut up! I need to concentrate here, you goon!"</p>
<p>"I can't help it, I just wanna get my metal claws on whatever's in there!" He had both of his mech's claws grip the air, demonstrating his greed in the moment.</p>
<p>However, from behind them, another voice was heard, which startled them. "I hate to disappoint you, bud! You're not getting your grubby paws on anything in here!" A familiar red, turtle-like mech then appeared, and attempted to punch her daggers on the side of the black one. Only at the last second was the foe able to dodge the assault.</p>
<p>"Wh-whoa! What the--" At first, the black mech pilot was confused, then quickly became aggravated. "You don't tell me what to do!"</p>
<p>"Hang on!" The gray pilot barked at his comrade. "That's one of those Mecha Ninja Turtle freaks! If there's one around, there's probably--"</p>
<p>"More of us?" This time, the orange mecha turtle spoke as she landed a blow with her nunchuck against the ringleader of the thieves. Joining her were the blue and purple mechs behind her, both ready with their respective weapons.</p>
<p>In spite of being outnumbered at this point, the hoodlums were not deterred. Jumping away from the overeager orange bot, the gray one had a gatling gun pop out of a compartment from its chest, and proceeded to fire several cartridges at the mecha turtles. One of the rounds managed to graze Michelangelo's arm, leaving a gash. In the meantime, the black one proceeded to rip the entirety of a long, yet currently empty display case then toss it in the direction of the turtles in an attempt to distract them long enough for his ally to get them with the gunfire. Sensing the danger, the mecha turtles managed to dodge their way out of both attacks, ending up hiding in various spots inside the store in order to formulate a plan of action. However...</p>
<p>"What's the plan?!" Leo barked at the leader in red.</p>
<p>The red mech had her head in her hands for a moment. "We need to wait until the lunatic with the gun runs out of bullets, then--"</p>
<p>"Won't that take too long?"</p>
<p>"It got me right in the arm," interjected Mikey. "It could pierce through our armor!"</p>
<p>Donnie went next. "I have to agree. We should stand down!"</p>
<p>Frustrated, Leo growled. "If we wait too long, they might--"</p>
<p>Before he could finish, he was cut off by the gunfire now destroying the concrete beam he was hiding behind, exhibiting the power it had. Leo managed to duck out of the way, then rolled to the side cleanly before ending up back on his feet again.</p>
<p>Moonshine had just finished getting the door open, alerting the other two. "I'll take care of these clowns, you guys grab what you can."</p>
<p>Both of her partners nodded, hurriedly entering the vault to take the goods. Leo decided to take Moonshine head-on, bringing out his dual lightsabers. "Do you really think I'll let you do as you please?"</p>
<p>She chuckled. "I'm not in the mood for a fight."</p>
<p>"I'm not giving you a choice!" Raising his blades, he attempted to lunge at her. To his surprise, a black, sticky substance was launched at him from a slot on the front of Moonshine's mech. Most of it landed right on the eyes of the mechanical turtle, obstructing the pilot's visage. "Augh! What is this!?"</p>
<p>"Leo!" exclaimed Raph, jumping back into the fray, prepared to defend her friend.</p>
<p>Moonshine decided to try another trick instead. Spilling from one of her wrists was more fluid that quickly covered the floor in front of the red and blue turtles. Leo and Raph found their feet stuck to it, unable to move. Unaware of what was going on, Don and Mikey jumped out to join the others, and also found themselves bound in place. "I can't believe it was that easy!"</p>
<p>"What is this stuff?" asked Don, legitimately curious.</p>
<p>"Secret concoctions of mine." Moonshine's mech flashed a 'peace sign' with its fingers.</p>
<p>The two other thieves appeared, carrying their loot. They laughed at the turtles' misfortune. The ringleader pointed at Leo then at Raph. "What idiots."</p>
<p>"Come a little closer, and say it again!" Raph glared.</p>
<p>"Jet," Moonshine said to her boss, "time to split."</p>
<p>He nodded. "Indeed. Don't need to waste time on these dregs. Come along, Crusher."</p>
<p>Crusher moaned. "Aw, but I didn't get to <b>crush</b> 'em!"</p>
<p>"No time for that! Let these losers take the fall for what we did." Jet took a hold of Crusher and Moonshine, just as small rockets appeared on the bottom of the mech's feet. Soon after, they levitated just high enough to avoid Moonshine's 'secret sauce', and once they were in the clear, they landed at the entryway they had created. "Take it easy."</p>
<p>"Get back here, you cowards!" Raph struggled as she tried to free herself from the confines of the adhesive material.</p>
<p>Don turned to Raph as soon as he heard police sirens in the distance. "If we don't do something soon, the police will arrest us for something we didn't do."</p>
<p>"What do we do, leader?" Mikey clenched her fists, awaiting a response.</p>
<p>A few moments were spent thinking, and she came up with what she felt was the best solution. "We need to leave our suits behind..."</p>
<p>"No way!" yelled Leo.</p>
<p>"If we don't, they'll catch us, <b>Leo</b>!"</p>
<p>"We're not in any shape to pilot our mechs right now, unfortunately!" Don added, backing Raph up. "It'll likely take a few hours for this stuff to dissolve..."</p>
<p>Jackson slammed both of his fists against his knees, angered that he would have to leave his precious mech behind. Though he knew, deep down, he would need to do this or it would put his friends and his sensei at risk. "Fine." Thus he opened the shell, and shimmied his body from inside it. "Let's get out of here."</p>
<p>One by one, the pilots of each turtle maneuvered out of their mechs. Using the ninjutsu skills they had learned over the years, they managed to evade touching the floor, and swung themselves over toward the back part of the store in order to successfully escape. Before he could go out the door, Jackson turned to look back at his mech, Leonardo. With a heavy heart, he shut his eyes tightly, willing himself to flee the scene without it.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>"<i>Harold, I'm sorry, but I have a confession...</i>" A blonde woman with overdone make-up placed her hand against her forehead dramatically.</p>
<p>The one named Harold, a conventionally attractive man with pouty lips, took a step toward her. "<i>What is it?</i>"</p>
<p>"<i>I...am a blood-sucking vampire from another planet...</i>"</p>
<p>"<i>Is that all? Well, so am I!</i>" Harold took her hands in his, staring intensely into her eyes.</p>
<p>Michelangelo shook his head in disapproval as he stared at the holographic projection that was now used as a source of entertainment viewing. "I called it ninety episodes ago." When he heard the sounds of the door to the lair opening, he assumed the kids were back, hastily turning the projection off, and positioning himself in a meditative stance in order to keep up his 'sagely wiseman' appearance to them. Once they were walking into the living room area, he opened an eye to peer at them. "How did things go tonight, my turtles?"</p>
<p>"Horrible..." Frida replied, pinching the bridge of her nose.</p>
<p>Jackson turned, glaring. "And whose fault is that?"</p>
<p>"Jackson, we had no choice!"</p>
<p>Concerned by what they were saying, Michelangelo stood up. "What happened?"</p>
<p>Kusama sighed. "We got into a big fight with these thieves, they kicked our butts, and...long story short, our mechs got stuck in this...sticky stuff on the floor, and we had to leave them behind."</p>
<p>"Hm, I see." Michelangelo pondered Kusama's succinct summary of the events that transpired.</p>
<p>Basque said, "I'm guessing they're going to impound our mechs, and we'll need to break in, and retrieve them."</p>
<p>"Breaking and entering, great." Although Jackson did hate the idea that they'd have to commit a crime, he did also want to get his mech back. Either way, his displeasure was quite apparent. "Maybe if we had better leadership, we wouldn't be in this mess."</p>
<p>Frida's eyes widened at his tactless comment, then she bowed her head in shame. "...Yeah..."</p>
<p>"Jackson!" Michelangelo called out his pupil's name quite sharply. "That's not cool, man."</p>
<p>This prompted Jackson to panic, as he did not want to upset Michelangelo. The panic reared back into anger, which he channeled into his answer. "It's true! Frida's not cut out to be leader! If it wasn't for her, we would've won the fight <b>and</b> kept our mechs!"</p>
<p>"We don't point fingers here. You and Frida are still learning, and mistakes will be made."</p>
<p>"Some mistakes are worse than others, Michelangelo-san!"</p>
<p>"Hey, Jackson!" Basque decided to throw his figurative hat into the ring now. "Sensei's right, just chill out."</p>
<p>Unfortunately, this set Jackson off more. "I will not chill out, Bass! I'm done! I won't stay here if it means I have to follow an incompetent leader's orders!"</p>
<p>Frida turned away, refusing to allow Jackson to see her growing more upset. "If that's the way you feel..."</p>
<p>Jackson didn't say another word. He grabbed his hoverboard from its place against the wall, and stormed out of the lair. Basque and Kusama were ready to go after him, but their teacher put his hand up to stop them. "He needs some space, so let him be."</p>
<p>Kusama bit her bottom lip. "But...this sucks!"</p>
<p>Basque looked in Frida's direction. "You okay, Frida?"</p>
<p>Frida only nodded, arms crossed as she thought about what Jackson said about her over and over. Was she truly incompetent? She did seem to make a lot of mistakes, or what Jackson deemed to be mistakes, at least. Even still, she did feel guilt over what happened that night. Now the question was, what was she planning to do next?</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>Making his way through the small crowd of curious on-lookers, Police Commissioner Matt Dombrowski finally managed to get through to the scene of the crime. A grizzled mutant bloodhound, he personified the stereotype of an overworked, underpaid (for all the crap he has to deal with) cop. Frowning, he looked toward one of his colleagues, an armored human sergeant. "Hey, Callaghan, what do we have here?" He asked this as he straightened his tie after it became crooked from moving about so much.</p>
<p>Callaghan looked over at him, equally unamused. "You're going to <i>love</i> this."</p>
<p>"Oh, I'm sure..." He replied dryly, taking a step into the remains of the jewelry store. What he saw made him tense. Four mechs stuck to the floor by a mysterious substance, and not just <i>any</i> mechs either. "The Mecha Ninja Turtles." Dombrowski was rather surprised, still trying to figure out what and why they were where they were.</p>
<p>"Looks like our little ninja heroes are actually thieves. Came in, took the contents of the vault, split."</p>
<p>Again, he looked over at each of the colorful mechs, stroking his chin as he thought about what Callaghan said. "Why would they leave their mechs behind?"</p>
<p>Callaghan shrugged. "Who knows? All we know is that this confirms that those turtles are dangerous, and criminals. I mean, well, aside from their vigilantism."</p>
<p>Dombrowski didn't buy that theory. It made no sense that they would commit such a crime, and leave their rides behind. Still, he didn't want to argue over it with Callaghan. "Any footage from the security cams?"</p>
<p>"They got hacked, and erased. One of those little thugs left this running on the screens..." Callaghan showed him what was recorded: a magenta screen with a bomb that kept detonating in a colorful explosion with a voice-over, belonging to Moonshine, going "Kaboom!" on a loop.</p>
<p>This did not strike him as the work of the turtles for sure. "Let's get these mechs detached, and send them over to the NYPD impound lot on twelfth avenue." Dombrowski commanded.</p>
<p>"Sure thing." Callaghan went on to signal for his officers to begin that process.</p>
<p>As he surveyed the crew work, Dombrowski did wonder what had happened there earlier. To him, it seemed the mysterious pilots of the mechs had left. Had the substance been released by the real culprits, leaving them no choice but to flee to evade capture? That seemed like a much likelier scenario. However, he did wonder if the turtles were somewhere close by... Criminals, including well-intentioned vigilantes, do tend to return to the scene of the crime. He took one last look into the mob close by before he went on to assist with the impound process.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>Jackson was, indeed, amongst the group trying to peek at what was going on at the remnants of the jewelry store. A sullen expression was drawn upon his face as he observed the police begin to haul his Leo mecha outside. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, thinking about what to do next. It seemed the options were to break into the facility to get it back, or learn to live without piloting his mech. The idea of committing a crime like breaking into a police facility in order to get it back disturbed him. After all, Jackson swore to uphold the law, and to help people. This would only serve to help himself, wouldn't it? Maybe it would be best if he just...gave up being a Mecha Ninja Turtle. It wasn't like doing this vigilante work was any better. Though that would mean walking away from his friends, from Michelangelo-san. Would he be able to do that? Could he really leave them behind?</p>
<p>"That blue turtle mech is super cool, isn't it?"</p>
<p>The unfamiliar voice startled him some, and he turned to look over at the stranger. A young girl, seemingly around his age, now stood next to him. So close, in fact, he could feel her arm brushing up against his. He felt nervous, uncharacteristically so. "Uh, yeah, I guess it is pretty cool." Well, that was the truth, though probably an understatement coming from him.</p>
<p>She grinned at him. "I always knew the Mecha Ninja Turtles were real. It's incredible I got confirmation on that tonight."</p>
<p>He curled his fingers and tilted his head slightly. "Big fan of theirs?"</p>
<p>"You could say that." Pushing some of her black hair out of her face, she looked over at him with her almond shaped eyes, curiously. "What's your deal?"</p>
<p>"My deal?" He blinked a few times, surprised she asked him that. "I'm just...thinking about stuff. Personal stuff. Probably boring."</p>
<p>"Yeah, probably," she boldly took a hold of his arm, tugging him along. "Let's go hang out."</p>
<p>This girl seemed to be full of surprises, and he found himself flabbergasted. Even Kusama wasn't quite as pushy as this weirdo seemed to be. "Hang out? In the middle of the night? You don't even know me, I could be a...a...I don't know, someone dangerous!"</p>
<p>"Maybe I like a little danger." A giggle came from her after. "Though something tells me you're probably just a boring dude who needs to do something fun."</p>
<p>"I'm not boring..." Maybe disciplined, and straightlaced, but not <b>boring</b>.</p>
<p>She continued to prod him into walking with her. "There's a twenty four hour convenience store near here that sells these really amazing calzones. We should be able to score one at this hour. Come on, what have you got to lose?"</p>
<p>Jackson knit his brow, contemplating it briefly, which was interrupted by the growling of his stomach. A calzone did sound pretty good right about then. Defeated, he sighed. "Okay, you win."</p>
<p>"By the way, my name's Lita."</p>
<p>"I'm Jackson." Then he felt her properly hook her arm around his, and he blushed at the way she smiled up at him. What was her deal? They barely knew each other, and she was already making herself right at home. Though he'd be lying if he said he didn't appreciate the attention <i>a little bit</i>.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>At the kitchen table, Frida sat in her usual chair. In front of her was a plate of cold pizza that Kusama had put out for her, as a means to cheer her up. She wasn't very hungry at the moment, though. Her insecurities regarding what had transpired earlier that night made her lose her appetite, especially Jackson's angry reaction. Hours had already passed, and she still wasn't sure what her next step would be. Basque and Kusama were off in their respective rooms, napping, until she gave some kind of order on what to do next. It made her feel bad. She was supposed to be the leader, she was supposed to be able to think on her feet, and come up with solutions on the fly. Some leader she turned out to be...</p>
<p>Michelangelo walked in, smiling down at Frida, as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "How are you holding up, Frida?"</p>
<p>"Lousy, sensei. I feel like crap." Both of her hands ran down her face in pure frustration.</p>
<p>He gave her a solemn nod before sitting down across from her. "Do you believe you made the right decision?"</p>
<p>His question caught her off guard. "What?"</p>
<p>"Do you believe you made the right decision?" repeated Michelangelo.</p>
<p>"I...figured we had to leave our mechs behind or we'd be caught. I knew it'd upset the others, especially Jackson, but...I figured not getting caught was more important. I had no idea what else to do."</p>
<p>"It's not easy being a leader, my dear. Sometimes, your comrades aren't going to agree with your decisions. Sometimes, you will be wrong. Sometimes, your decisions will lead to failure."</p>
<p>"Gee, sensei, you're really giving me <b>a lot</b> of confidence right now..." Frida tipped her chair back, looking up at the ceiling in dismay.</p>
<p>Michelangelo gestured at her, requesting the slice of cold pizza for himself. Raising her eyebrow, she pushed the plate toward him. He took a bite of it. "My point is, you need to take the good with the bad. Roll with the punches as you always have. This is why I chose you to lead the team."</p>
<p>"Wait, what?" Frida let the chair drop back into place. "I thought it was because I drew the short straw!"</p>
<p>The wise sensei took a bigger bite of the pizza. "I fixed it."</p>
<p>"You what?"</p>
<p>"I wanted to temper your ego then, but I thought you would be the best candidate to lead. I don't think I was wrong. You have a good heart, and a good head on your shoulders. I know you're going to make things right, so I'm not worried."</p>
<p>A small smile formed on her lips. "Thanks, sensei."</p>
<p>"You know what this pizza needs? Some prunes." He put his hand on his gut. "Yeah...I'm feeling something bubble in there already..."</p>
<p>"Gross."</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>Lita munched on her calzone, her eyes on Jackson as she also engaged him in conversation. "Are you really a <b>ninja</b>?" The pair sat on a swingset in a small park near the convenience store they had bought the calzones from, mostly chatting and looking at the darkened clouds in the sky above.</p>
<p>In turn, Jackson also took large bites of his, though pausing so as to not speak with his mouth full. "Yeah, I trained in the art of ninjutsu for years now."</p>
<p>"Wow, that's really neat! I wish I actually knew ninja stuff." Lita ripped another piece off of the calzone, then spoke, not shy about talking while eating. "Wannaf showmf me sumfin'?"</p>
<p>Jackson took a deep breath, then stood up from the swing he had been seated at in the park. He remembered what Michelangelo-san had told him a while back on this subject:</p>
<p>"<i>If you ever find yourself in a situation where a girl asks you to perform a demonstration, definitely take your shirt off. Trust me, she'll dig it.</i>"</p>
<p>Although he tended to heed most of Michelangelo-san's wise teachings, he was always rather...hesitant about this one. Nonetheless, he figured it would help tip the scales in his favor. Thus he unzipped his blue jacket, then removed his white t-shirt shortly after. Upon neatly folding his clothes, and placing them on the swing, he took a peek over at Lita. It appeared she was quite taken by his impressive physique. Jackson possessed a lean, muscular chest; well-defined from the time he has spent working on his skills. Clearing his throat, he decided to move on with his demo, performing a few basic stretches beforehand. The night was still quite cold, but he didn't let that stop him. What sort of ninja would he be if it did?</p>
<p>He planted his feet firmly on the ground, assuming the proper position for what he was about to do. Turning left, he launched a hard punch. Then he turned right, assuming another position, and demonstrated a lunge punch. Afterward, he rotated his arm to show off a defensive block.</p>
<p>"Wait a sec," Lita said, throwing Jackson off some. "I thought you were going to show me some ninja tricks."</p>
<p>"Ninja tricks?" Jackson's eye twitched at that. "What were you expecting?"</p>
<p>Lita finished the last of her calzone, then stood from the swing as she licked her fingers. "Maybe using those throwing star things?"</p>
<p>"Shuriken?"</p>
<p>"Yeah, that."</p>
<p>Jackson groaned. "I don't have any weapons on me, sorry."</p>
<p>"I mean, I did like watching you flex your muscles, don't get me wrong."</p>
<p>His face reddened when she said that, and he hastily went to put his clothes back on. "The katas I was showing you are a very important part of ninjutsu."</p>
<p>Lita placed her hands behind her back, grinning at him. "That's interesting, Mr. Ninja Master."</p>
<p>"What sort of hobbies do you, uh, have?" asked Jackson, feeling embarrassed even after being fully dressed.</p>
<p>"Hobbies? I like computer programming, building stuff, meeting cute boys at crime scenes."</p>
<p>He chuckled, though he still felt an overwhelming self-consciousness. "My, um, my friend is into computers and engineering, too... Not the cute boys part. I don't think, anyway."</p>
<p>"Good. I wouldn't want any competition."</p>
<p>Jackson felt flattered by her comment, even though he felt he should know better than to entertain such thoughts. "Listen, Lita, I wanted to thank you. I was having a bad night, and...I guess eating that calzone and hanging out here cheered me up some."</p>
<p>Taking a few steps forward, she was then directly in front of him. "So, what had you so bummed?"</p>
<p>"I...uh..." He hesitated, unsure of how much he should tell her.</p>
<p>"Hm?"</p>
<p>"I just got into a fight with my friends. They wanted to do something bad, illegal, after things got messed up. I didn't want to, so I left."</p>
<p>Lita adjusted her glasses. "I see."</p>
<p>Jackson stared at his feet for a few seconds, before his eyes settled back on her. "I--"</p>
<p>She cut him off when she pressed her lips gently upon his. His eyes widened, stunned at the fact he was being kissed. The shock melted away rather quickly, and Jackson began to relax, and enjoy it. After all, it was his first kiss, something he had been curious about even if he would never admit it out loud. When Lita parted away from him, she smiled at him. "Sometimes it's okay to break the rules, especially if it's for something really important." Jackson found himself unable to give her a proper answer in response, so he merely nodded. Soon after, she turned on her heel. "Meet me back here tomorrow, at around midnight or so. Maybe we'll get into some real trouble together."</p>
<p>Real <i>trouble</i>? He wasn't sure how to feel about that, though he did like the <i>together</i> part. Very much.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>Placing her hands on her waist, Frida looked over at Kusama and Basque as they sat at the dining room table, awaiting her announcement. Kusama peered at her with an inquisitive smile, Basque twiddled his thumbs as he tried to keep his anxiety in check. Frida was about to propose a rescue plan for their mechs, after she had mapped one out for a few hours. The reason she couldn't will herself to talk about it was, well, because she didn't like the idea of excluding Jackson. He was one of them, it was important he participated. But he clearly disapproved, and he wasn't even currently there. Was he even going to come back? As painful as it was, Frida figured it would be best to execute this without--</p>
<p>Jackson opened the door as he glided back into the hideout on his hoverboard. "Hey, uh, guys."</p>
<p>"Jackson! You're back!" Kusama jumped up from her chair, excited that he returned.</p>
<p>A small smile formed, directed at Kusama. "Did you miss me?"</p>
<p>"You bet!" exclaimed the girl clad in orange.</p>
<p>Basque and Frida exchanged glances, noting that something was...off about Jackson. Neither could put their finger on what it was. The former decided to question this. "Everything okay, Jack?"</p>
<p>"Perfectly fine, Bass. Perfectly fine." He threw himself onto the couch, almost in a daze. The kiss still had him reeling.</p>
<p>"Er, okay. Listen," began Frida, ready to get back to business, "we're about to set a plan to retrieve our mechs. I was hoping--"</p>
<p>"I'm in."</p>
<p>"What?!" The three other ninja chorused.</p>
<p>"Sometimes it's okay to break the rules, especially if it's for something really important." said Jackson nonchalantly, or he tried to make it sound that way, even though his current dazed state was still obvious to them.</p>
<p>Basque pointed his finger at him. "Okay, who are you, and what have you done with Jackson?"</p>
<p>"It's true, isn't it?" Jackson sat up, looking at them. "It's either we give up our mechs or we get them. What I want is to get mine back."</p>
<p>Kusama enthusiastically nodded. "Exactly! I think you've got the right idea!"</p>
<p>Frida exhaled, relieved that he seemed open to the idea now. Though she did figure something triggered this change of heart, and she wondered what it was. "I have to agree with K. And I came up with a plan to get the job done."</p>
<p>Basque folded his arms, gazing over at the team leader. "Let's hear it then."</p>
<p>"Right!" She asserted, smiling as she watched Basque, Kusama, and Jackson gather around her.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>As Lita made her way back to her home, she hummed a little tune to herself. The sky was turning an orange-pink hue, a sign of the incoming dawn of a new day. Or, for her, time for a long slumber until night time came, and she could <i>party</i> all over again. When she reached the warehouse's vicinity, she pushed the broken section of the metal wire fence aside so she could gain entry. Then she walked over to the building, sliding the semi-rusted door apart. Dusting off her jacket and pants a bit, her pace slowed as she looked around to see if anyone else was around.</p>
<p>"Axel? Nolan? You guys still up..?" Her voice echoed in the dwelling, as there wasn't too much inside, save for some mechs hidden under tarps and a few other living essentials they had scattered about.</p>
<p>The one named Axel came up from behind one of the mechs. "Hey, you haven't been hanging out with strange boys all night, have you?"</p>
<p>Lita smirked. "I'm not one to kiss and tell, bro."</p>
<p>In response, he grimaced. "Yeah, let's keep it that way..."</p>
<p>Nolan, a lanky fellow with greasy, dark hair, popped his head from behind one of the mechs, spooking both of his siblings. "Guess what?"</p>
<p>Axel scowled. "You made another mess we'll need to clean up?"</p>
<p>"I crushed up a bunch of aluminum cans, and made a sickle!" Proudly, he held up his newly made weapon. It was quite big and heavy, so he did struggle to keep a good grip on it.</p>
<p>"...Your mech's meant to <b>crush</b> and rip things apart."</p>
<p>"I just want to try some new things! Maybe I can hold this thing, and go..." He began to try to mimic what he's seen in movies, but due to how oversized the sickle was, he ended up just dropping it.</p>
<p>Axel ran his hand through his bald head. "No comment."</p>
<p>"Actually, I wanted to run something by you guys," Lita said, sitting upon a wooden table they were using to store various tools and maintenance items. "I went back to the jewelry store, saw them hauling those turtles' mechs off. Overheard the cops talking about taking them to the NYPD impound lot on twelfth avenue."</p>
<p>"What're you getting at?"</p>
<p>"Well," began Lita as she fiddled with a wrench she picked up off the table. "I think...we should break in, and take 'em."</p>
<p>This made Axel roll his eyes. "You're dreamin'."</p>
<p>Nolan seemed more receptive to the idea. "And I can crush and smash and break whatever I want, right?"</p>
<p>"Yeah, sure." Lita pointed the wrench at Nolan now. "In fact, we'll definitely need you to."</p>
<p>"Oh, man, I wanna do thiiis!"</p>
<p>Axel shook his head, and waved his hands at them. "Hang on, you two. What would be the point of taking those suits?"</p>
<p>"I think we can take their mechs apart, use the parts to upgrade ours. Besides, it'd be a great way to get some egg in those guys' eyes."</p>
<p>"Let's do it, Axel! Please! I can even take my sickle for a test drive!" Nolan exclaimed as he tried to lift the sickle again.</p>
<p>Axel forced Nolan to drop it. "Fine, but <b>no</b> sickle."</p>
<p>"YEAH!"</p>
<p>Lita hopped off her perch, still holding the wrench. "I'll do some digging, and try to map out the facility. We're going to go there tonight, before midnight. Maybe ten, or so?"</p>
<p>Raising his eyebrow, Axel wondered why she was insistent on the time. "Might be more security, the earlier we go."</p>
<p>"It's a challenge. I thought you'd be into that."</p>
<p>"Hey, you need to finish decoding that loot we got last night," interjected Nolan. "We need to hand it over to the boss soon."</p>
<p>The mention of 'the boss' made Lita frown, though she quickly got over her discomfort. "I'll get it done. The stuff'll be untraceable before we give it to him."</p>
<p>"I guess it's settled?"</p>
<p>Both siblings looked over at Axel again, their eyes wide and watering in order to emotionally manipulate their older brother. He hunched over in annoyance. "Yeah, yeah. I guess we're gonna go turtle hunting tonight."</p>
<p>Lita walked away, yawning. "First, I'm going to get some beauty sleep." She made sure to hand off the wrench to Axel before she headed in the direction of her bed.</p>
<p>"Make sure you get your work done later, Moonshine," teased Axel, using his sister's codename. "No slacking!"</p>
<p>"No worries there, Jet."</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>Nighttime came quite quick. Clouds loomed overhead in the city then, the atmosphere feeling particularly gloomy. Even though the night was still relatively young, there were few people out and about in the streets. This presented the perfect opportunity for a specific group of ninjas. Frida, Jackson, Basque, and Kusama moved swiftly amongst the shadows throughout the city, only stopping momentarily to hide when a pedestrian went by. Eventually, the four teenagers came upon their destination: the impound lot.</p>
<p>"Okay, guys, you remember the plan. Right?" Frida looked toward the others.</p>
<p>Basque leaned inward, directing his gaze at her. "Yeah. We'll enter through the backside entrance after I disable the alarm system along with the lock mechanism. We'll remove the mechs, and make our getaway, leaving no trace behind."</p>
<p>"Jackson and I will be the look-outs while you and Frida work on the alarm," added Kusama, smiling brightly.</p>
<p>"This should be a relatively simple in and out mission." Jackson said, trying to focus on the task at hand, in spite of his thoughts drifting to Lita and the prospect of meeting with her later.</p>
<p>"Let's get this show started!" Frida went first, climbing the fence that surrounded the lot. Basque followed closely, with Kusama going after. Jackson pulled out his phone, checking the time. A small hologram popped up on the screen, 10:13pm glowing in green. A small sigh came from him. He had to focus. As much as he wanted to hang out with her again, he also wanted to get Leo back. Thus this meant keeping his eye on the prize. Quickly, he made his way over the barrier, and caught up with the others.</p>
<p>Basque had already begun work on his task, swiftly removing the covering on the small computer plastered to the wall, and inserting a small drive in to facilitate his hack. He flicked on some glasses that contained a holographic screen on the lenses, which he used to view the coding used in the device. "Okay, this shouldn't take long." A few moments later, he found a firewall that prevented him from proceeding onward. He wore a confused and concerned look on his face as he tried to figure out a way around it.</p>
<p>"What's going on?" asked Frida, noticing that something was wrong.</p>
<p>"Hit a bit of a snag..." His voice trailed off as he kept trying to type his way out of this predicament.</p>
<p>"A snag?" Kusama looked toward Basque, neglecting her look-out duties temporarily.</p>
<p>"Looks like someone else is fiddling with the security system," said Basque as he took a step back, and let the glasses rest on his forehead. "I think somebody else is trying to break in here."</p>
<p>Jackson blinked several times. "Are you serious?"</p>
<p>Before Basque could give a reply, the four caught the sight of the three mechs they had fought the day before coming their way. They swiftly blended into the shadows, keeping themselves well hidden while the trio made their grand entrance into the area. The ninja unanimously decided to remain hidden for the time being, observing what their enemies were going to do. As they drew closer, their voices could be heard booming from the sound speakers attached to their head pieces. Frida, Basque, and Jackson exchanged glances, noting how these guys didn't seem very subtle in their approach.</p>
<p>"You got that security system disabled, Moonshine?" Jet shouted.</p>
<p>Moonshine gave Jet a thumbs up. "Sure did. I even diverted them to a false alarm all the way across the city. That should buy us plenty of time before the cops get wise."</p>
<p>Basque put his fist against his chin, pondering that. "That's not a bad idea..."</p>
<p>Frida clenched her fists as she raised her voice to him. "What? No! Don't take notes from bad guys, Bass!"</p>
<p>"Riiight..." He looked embarrassed afterward.</p>
<p>Crusher went over to the door, and ripped it out. Then he crushed it with his claw. Upon tossing the metallic remains away, he turned to the others. "Man. I love doing that."</p>
<p>Jet sighed. "Let's get a move on, we need to get these guys hauled off soon."</p>
<p>"I want to dismantle the blue and purple ones, it might be nice to add some <i>color</i> to my mech that way." Moonshine began to walk toward the newly made entrance.</p>
<p>"What?!" Kusama shrieked. "They're gonna try to take our turtles!"</p>
<p>"Oh, no way!" Frida cried, flames of ire burning in her eyes. "They are <b>not</b> using our mechs for <b>scrap</b>!"</p>
<p>Jackson tried to remain 'centered', though that was proving to be a difficult task. "We need to move in. Fast."</p>
<p>"What's the plan, though?" Kusama pulled out her nunchaku, twirling them.</p>
<p>Frida raised a finger, anxious. "Uh...we're going to wing this one."</p>
<p>They moved through the darkness, forcing their way into the holding bay the three mechs had gone into. The facility had various mechs of many shapes, sizes, and colors. Frida had an idea, pointing upward, and having her team follow her as she scaled the side of the wall. In the meantime, the three siblings navigated the area in search of the turtles. It only took a brief while before they found them, all four huddled together in the middle. Just before Moonshine could make a move toward the Leo mech, something heavy fell upon her head, proceeding to knock her off balance. From the metal rafters above, the ninja managed to drop a heavy pulley onto the magenta mecha. A jagged crack now adorned the top of Moonshine's head as a result.</p>
<p>"What the--" She locked her visage to the top, though she was unable to clearly see any of them, only seeing four outlines.</p>
<p>"Looks like they had the same idea we did." Jet said, glaring up at them the way his sister was.</p>
<p>"I'm only going to give you one chance to turn your sorry tails around, and get out of here," warned Frida as she pointed her weapon down at them.</p>
<p>Crusher snorted. "Oh? You guys are super tiny meat sacks, and we're in big tin cans. No way you can beat us!"</p>
<p>"These tiny meat sacks have a few tricks up their sleeves!" She looked toward her comrades, and they nodded in affirmation.</p>
<p>Then the four proceeded to jump off the beam they stood on, cleanly landing right on the mechs below. This caught the three hoodlums off their guard. Frida used her daggers to scratch up Jet's visor gratuitously. Basque and Kusama moved around swiftly, back and forth, in an attempt to confuse and agitate Crusher as he attempted to swat at them. Jackson jumped onto the back of Moonshine's headpiece, deciding to pierce the power source of her mech in order to disable it completely.</p>
<p>"HEY!" shouted Moonshine as she felt the entire mech shake as Jackson's lightsabers had broken through the box attached to its neck.</p>
<p>Jackson leaped off of her, smirking as he watched her craft fall on its face. "How's that for a tiny meat sack?"</p>
<p>Jet brought his gun out, pointing it toward Jackson, even in spite of Frida continuing to hang onto him. "Think you can handle <b>this</b>, kid?"</p>
<p>Frida decided to use one of her daggers to jam the barrel of the cannon, hoping to buy some time. "Let's get to our turtles! Now!"</p>
<p>The other three obeyed her, heading straight toward their mechs. Since the Moonshine mech was now out of commission, Lita popped open the hatch, shimming her way out, frustrated that one of those twerps got the better of her. However, she watched the backside of the one who took her down, and her eyes widened in realization. "Jackson?"</p>
<p>Once inside their respective mechs, the turtles were invigorated once again. They pulled their respective weapons from their compartments, positioning themselves in an offensive stance. Raph pointed at Jet. "Give it up, crooks."</p>
<p>"We came here for your shells, turtles. We ain't leavin' without 'em," declared Jet.</p>
<p>"Time to do a little crushin'!" Crusher demonstrated by snapping his claws.</p>
<p>"Let them go," Lita spoke through the speaker attached to Moonshine, having gone back into the cockpit. "We need to get out of here. The cops'll show up soon. We don't want to get pinched."</p>
<p>Jet thought her words over briefly, reviewing whether it would be worth it to actually fight the mecha turtles. "Can you even get up on your own, Moonshine?"</p>
<p>"I might need some help..."</p>
<p>The sounds of police sirens were then heard in the distance, and all the teens in the unit tensed. Time was now of the essence. As much as the mecha turtles wanted to fight and defeat the villains, they figured it was more important to flee than risk potentially exposing themselves, and their sensei. Jet and Crusher took a hold of Moonshine, soon heading to the exit. When the group got to the exit, they watched as several hovering cop cars headed their way.</p>
<p>"Good luck getting rid of those guys," Jet told the turtles, just as he used his rockets to propel himself along with his siblings, speeding past the law enforcement vehicles, prompting some of them to brake in surprise.</p>
<p>This left the TMNT by themselves, now surrounded by the police. Dombrowski immediately jumped out of his vehicle, barking into his megaphone speaker. When he realized the turtles had no idea what he was saying, he sighed, and began to speak english. "Mecha Turtles, you are under arrest for trespassing, breaking and entering, and a multitude of other offenses! You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in court. You have the right to--"</p>
<p>"Wait, wait, wait!" Mikey waved her arms, panicked. "We were just...uh..."</p>
<p>"Just leaving!" proclaimed Raph. "Follow my lead, guys!"</p>
<p>Raph ejected a small bomb from a compartment in her mech, then threw it down onto the crowd. The others immediately understood what to do, following Raph as she used the smoke as a distraction to allow them to flee via climbing the facility's rooftop.</p>
<p>Although some of the police attempted to fire their laser rifles at them, Dombrowski put a stop to that quickly. "Hold your fire!"  After some time, the smoke finally dispersed, revealing that the team was now gone. In frustration, Dombrowski threw the megaphone on the ground.</p>
<p>Callaghan, having just arrived in his own squad car, came out to observe the damage. "What, did they seriously get away?"</p>
<p>"Slippery bunch... But I'll get to the bottom of this soon enough." Dombrowski growled, then picking up the shattered device from the ground.</p>
<p>"That's probably coming out of your paycheck..."</p>
<p>"Yeah, I know!"</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>Five blocks later, and the mecha turtles finally felt it was safe enough for them to take a short break in an alleyway between some rundown buildings. Simultaneously, their shells opened, and the four pilots climbed out of their mechs. Frida breathed a sigh of relief, glad that they managed to escape with little trouble. Basque rubbed his forehead, also exhibiting relief that matters hadn't been worse than they were. Jackson checked his phone, noting that the time was much closer to midnight than he anticipated. Kusama peered over Jackson's side curiously, with her hands behind her back. "Why do you keep checking the time?"</p>
<p>"Huh?" Jackson nearly dropped his phone, then looking at the girl with wide eyes. "Oh, well, I...need to be somewhere soon, actually."</p>
<p>"What?" Frida crossed her arms. "At this hour? After everything we've <i>just</i> been through?"</p>
<p>"It's important, okay?" He looked away from the others. "I'll leave Leo here, and come pick him up later."</p>
<p>Kusama blinked several times. "Really?"</p>
<p>"Listen, uh, Frida?" Jackson then set his sights directly on their leader. "You did good tonight."</p>
<p>Now it was Frida's turn to blink repeatedly. "I...did?" It was quite rare for Jackson to praise her, or anyone for that matter.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry about the other day. You're a good leader." That said, he began to run out of there, hoping he would make it to his meeting spot in time.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>Twenty minutes later, and Jackson had managed to run to the site he and Lita had agreed to meet at. He put his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath for a few moments. Similarly to the night before, the park was completely empty. Only the sounds of chirping crickets were heard then. Taking a quick glance around the area, Jackson decided to approach the swingset they had hung out at, and took a seat on the one he had occupied previously. Checking his phone yet again, he realized it was close to midnight. So technically he had arrived too early. All he had to do was wait for a time, right? As he sat upon the swing, he looked up at the starry sky. He did wonder why he was so dead set on returning to meet with Lita. Though he then remembered the kiss, and his face reddened. There was probably more to that though. His whole life, Jackson had been the stick in the mud, the rule follower, and the one who spent most of his time meditating instead of playing video games with his friends. Lita's advice really seemed to help him out, and if he hadn't listened to her, he might have lost his mech. Maybe hanging around someone like her more often would be beneficial, he thought.</p>
<p>From a distance, Lita stood behind a tree, watching Jackson sit by himself. She wore an uncharacteristic frown on her face as she observed him. So the cute boy she had met the night before was one of <i>them</i>. Although she had been initially surprised by this revelation, upon reflection she figured that it made a whole lot of sense. Those mecha turtles were ninjas, and so it made some sense that the pilots had knowledge on the subject as well. That, and Jackson was totally a goody two-shoes that would probably want to stop a robbery in progress like he and his pals did before. Lita was the type that enjoyed flirting with boys, and leading them on, treating it like a game of sorts. Of course, she tended to go after bad boys she felt deserved that sort of treatment. Jackson was...different, in more ways than one. Despite being curious about dabbling in having a fling with him originally, something in her stirred, giving her pause. It just wasn't a good idea. Thus she decided she wouldn't show up to their meet-up. It was for the best, Lita tried to justify it in her mind, though she felt a pang of guilt as she turned to flee the scene.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>Another twenty minutes passed, Jackson checked his phone for the umpteenth time. It was now much later than when they agreed to meet. Dejected, he figured that it was unlikely she was going to show up at this point. All that was left for him to think about was, the 'why'. Why did she ditch him? Why didn't she like him enough to return? Why? He let out a frustrated sigh, figuring that it just wasn't meant to be for whatever reason.</p>
<p>"Jackson," a familiar voice called out to him.</p>
<p>Jackson moved off the swing then, and turned around to look at the one approaching him. "Michelangelo-san?" Immediately, he bowed to his master.</p>
<p>He chuckled. "The one and only. I was just out for a late night stroll, and saw you over here." The old turtle's expression then softened. "You seem distraught, my son."</p>
<p>"I...uh...was waiting for somebody here, and she never showed up. It's not a big deal, though."  Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he tried to remain calm and collected.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry, Jackson," said Michelangelo as he put his hand on his student's shoulder.</p>
<p>"It's fine, Michelangelo-san... I'll be fine. It's just another obstacle I'll have to get over."</p>
<p>"We're here for you. Remember that."</p>
<p>Jackson exhaled. "We, huh?" Frida, Kusama, and Basque all appeared, having been hiding in a nearby tree. Seeing them there prompted Jackson to smirk a little. "Guess they don't call us ninjas for nothing."</p>
<p>Kusama shrugged, grinning. "Ninjas for the win!"</p>
<p>Michelangelo ruffled Kusama's hair then looked at Jackson. "How about we go home?"</p>
<p>Jackson was about to agree to that, until he got a better idea. "Wait, how about we grab some calzones at this convenience store nearby? They're pretty good."</p>
<p>"I could go for that!" Basque agreed enthusiastically.</p>
<p>"Ooh, ooh! Me too!" Kusama jumped up and down, excited.</p>
<p>Frida nodded, pounding Jackson's arm. "Sounds like a plan, <i>Leo</i>."</p>
<p>Jackson rubbed the now aching spot. She punched <i>hard</i>. "Sure thing. I'll lead the way."</p>
<p>Kusama climbed onto Michelangelo's shell, clinging to him as he gave her a piggyback ride out of there. Frida and Basque fist-bumped each other as they walked away, satisfied by their progress that night. Jackson turned his head as he strolled away from the swingset. He briefly felt a little sad about Lita standing him up, wondering what had happened that her to not show. However, when he looked over at the smiling faces of his family, he found himself more at ease. It was a learning experience, one he could draw from for the future. Besides, he now knows of a place with amazing calzones he could share with others. That was pretty cool.</p>
<p>---</p>
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